POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 772, 7 September 1853, Page 4

POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH ENGLAND.

(From the “ Argus,” August 12.) The question which the mercantile community are convened this day to discuss, is one of paramount and daily increasing importance to the colony ; and one which it only requires vigorous agitation to settle. How the merchants of Melbourne have been able to snbmit to the losses and vexations which the want of a regular system of postal communication with England has entailed upon them during the past twelve months, without indignantly demanding a reform again ami again, is rather unaccountable to us; but it seems that the culminating point of mercantile indifference to general interests has been reached at length, and that the evil has risen beyond the endurance of even our easygoing commercial men. Possibly, that business of the bank-note robbery, springing, as we believe it did, from defective postal arrangements, lias awakened a more than usual degree of interest in the subject; but, at all events, the question is one that should be settled forthwith, and we are very glad to find that the merchants arc beginning to discuss it. There is no great difficulty about the question in itself considered; but the British Government have taken a wrong step in reference to it, and thus complicated it a little. The signal and disgraceful failure, after four several attempts, of the A.R.M.S.N. Company's undertaking, and the merciless ridicule showered upon the unlucky company by the Times and other influential journals, induced (he Government to withdraw the mail contract from it rather summarily, and to trust to private enterprise in future, rather than run the risk of being subjected to another such disappointment. They have, therefore, advertised for tenders for the conveyance of the several mails to Australia for the remainder of the present year. This step has a tendency to throw onr postal communication into the same state of uncertainty in which it was before the steamers commenced running. But now that the Screw Steam Company sends out its fine vessels with such great regularity : and the Peninsular and Oriental Company punctually sends us the overland mail by its dashing little fcteamers, till their place is taken by larger vessels ; while there is every reason to hope that at this moment the first steamer of the Pacific Company is on its way (o Australia via Panama ; there is no reason whatever why the English mails for Melbourne should not arrive as regularly as those for Bombay. The obvious course to he taken in the matter is (o excite a wholesome spirit of rivalry between the three companies, and to throw out to them every inducement to rcdrcc the period of transit to a minimum, aud to keep up the communication with strict regularity. By these means a judicious arrangement might be effected with each of the three companies; so that the English mails might be delivered in Melbourne at intervals of two or three weeks, with the utmost punctuality; and the colonists should not rest satisfied until lhi.-> most essential arrangement is perfected. Indeed, it is somewhat disgraceful to the colony itself that a belter system of postal communication has not been already established. The world does nol, perhaps, afford a parallel instance to our own, of prodigious commercial prosperity, with a want of almost every facility for commercial transactions. The statistics we published yesterday show that the city of Melbourne stands fourth in the British dominions, with respect to shipping, and third with respect to exports; and Mr. Westgarth’s able report to the Chamber of Commerce proved fhal the exports from Melbourne during the past year exceeded those from the entire of the British possessions in India, by several millions. Now, (he merchant of Liverpool or Hull would deem himself very badly treated if I.is letters from London were detained some morning an hour

naxeaggMßßaazataMMßMMMMWM I——a rn'iimmi •imirrrMs beyond their usual lime ; and the merchant of Bombay looks for, and receives, bis fortnightly advices from England as regularly as the Liverpool merchant looks for Ms morning mails : why, then, should (he Melbourne merchant, whose transactions are almost as extensive as theirs, be content with getting his letters just as he can, just as irregularly and uncertainly as want of system, incompctency, and negligence can make them ? But, as we have said, a little agitation of the subject is all that is necessary to settle it. The present English Government is the most favorable to the interests of the colonies that Britain has ever had ; and « strong representation of the evils we arc suffering from defective postal arrangements, backed by a suggestion of the numerous facilities which exist for founding a perfect system, will not fail to impel the Government to set about the establishment of such a system forthwith. The splendid ship, Argo, will be here probably to day, and will sail early next week ; and she ought to be the bearer of such suggestions and remonstrances from us, that postal communication between England and Australia shall, for all time to come, be placed upon an improved and satisfactory fooling.